Angel food cake

Angel food cake is an example of cake that became popular in the United States in the 19th century.[1] It is also called angel cake. It is very light and fluffy. Because of this, it is named Angel cake because it is said to be "food for the angels."[2]

Angel food cake needs the egg whites to be whipped until they are stiff, and carefully folded into the other ingredients. For this method of "leavening" to work well, it is helpful to have flour that has been made of softer wheat. This causes angel food cake to have a very light texture and taste. Angel food cake should be cut with a serrated knife, as a solid blade tends to compress the cake rather than cut it.